*Note: Copied over from morning pages journal vol. 8, personal journal vol. 10, dated 10/5/2019

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. April and I just walked to breakfast across the street, maybe half a mile, then walked home. The lady who runs the place knows Ape by the size of her belly. A lovely time spent with my wife.

Perhaps an indicator of the future? See, once the babies arrive, we have to to take them everywhere with us, if we both go that is. So walking a short distance might soon become a true hassle.

Writers like Scott Snyder or Jason Aaron discussed coming up with story ideas while taking babies out for walks. It allowed them to generate dialogue, plot out scenes, and overall, let their minds wander without hindrance. How did you think of all those epic storylines in your head while in school, hm?

Going for walks.

Daydreaming.

You sat in class, barely listening to the professor, and developed years of storylines for imaginary characters. Backstory. Dialogue. Quirks. Personality. Even if you couldn’t put it into words you could feel someone out, know who they are, know what they would say in an given circumstance.

So, when the babies come, guess whose going to take them for walkies?

See, and that’s the thing I’ve noticed a lot of pro writers don’t always mention about their craft. To truly be a great writer, you have to be a good person. That can mean lots of different things to lots of different people. Being the best for whom? To whom?

So, say you’re a dad.

Be the best dad you can.

If you’re single?

Do whatever you can to take care of yourself. Eat healthy. Make your bed. Blah, blah, blah.

Why is any of this important to writing? Why should this be more important to the job of crafting a story then, say, studying the art of writing? Active voice? Cutting the fat?

Because it clears the mind.

It lets you be free.

Writing with weight on your mind, be it family or friend, or personal responsibilities, can be a toxic writing environment. You’re never in the pace you want to be. The words trip over themselves because they trip over the obstacles of your life.

“Art is not a support system for life. It’s the other way around.” – Stephen King

Thanks for reading,

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